Mahlet Fasil
Addis Standard

Addis Abeba, March 02/2018 – Ethiopia’s ruling party controlled members of parliament have this morning approved the controversial state of emergency imposed by the council of ministers on February 16. The emergency decree will last for six months.

According to the state affiliated media, FanaBC, of the 546 members of parliament, 346 have voted in favor, while 88 voted against, and seven have abstained. Despite the approval, however, the number of parliamentarians who opposed and abstained against the decree is unprecedented and can be taken as a sign of the changing political dynamics in Ethiopia. According to the weekly newspaper, Fortune, 441 members of parliament were in attendance. But the Facebook page of the parliament said 490 members were in attendance.

The parliament was summoned from its recess to hold today’s extraordinary session as the 15 days constitutionally mandate period for the council to enforce the decree would have ended.

The council of ministers have announced the latest round of state of emergency, the second in a year and half, a day after the unexpected resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

However, the announcement came under criticism both from Ethiopia’s key ally, the US, which stated its strong disagreement. It was also criticized by local opposition party members, activists, academicians and international rights organizations. Although to a lesser extent than the US, the state of emergency has also drawn widespread criticism and reservations from many of Ethiopia’s traditional western allies including the EU, The UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden.

On February 27, the Command post established to oversee the emergency decree said its patience against what it called anti-peace elements in the country has run out and it no longer tolerates any form of disruptions of public peace; it said it instructed security forces “to take necessary measures to restore peace.” AS

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Amnesty International

1 March 2018, 19:15 UTC
The Ethiopian parliament must ensure the new state of emergency does not further constrict the already narrowing freedom of expression, assembly and association in the country, Amnesty International said as MPs prepared to debate the new emergency measures on Friday.

In an open letter to MPs, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Salil Shetty said, “I have noted with concern the recent escalation, in gravity and magnitude, of human rights violations in Ethiopia, especially in Amhara, Oromia and Somali Regional States of Ethiopia.

“Some aspects of the current state of emergency proclamation tabled before you violate international human rights law obligations that Ethiopia is bound to respect.”

In deliberating on this state of emergency proclamation, it is essential that you pay full account to the human rights of the people of Ethiopia
Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
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During the country’s last state of emergency, which lasted for 10 months from October 2016, Amnesty International documented a series of grave human rights violations including unlawful killings, forced displacement, arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as torture and other ill-treatment of detainees.

“The Constitution of the country requires all of you to be governed by the Constitution, the will of the people, and your conscience. In deliberating on this state of emergency proclamation, it is essential that you pay full account to the human rights of the people of Ethiopia,” Shetty said.

The Ethiopian parliament is expected to deliberate and vote on the State of Emergency Proclamation which the Council of Ministers passed on 16 February

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Honoring the Victory of Adwa!

By Dr. Dejenie A. Lakew

It is a confirmation to my long-standing understanding of TPLF and its beneficiaries how they think, function and exist. The foundation and thereby the subsequent substructures added to build a structure determine the type of the structure, in terms of size, height, strength and stability. Likewise our persona and actions we make are based on our way of thinking, our way of looking at reality and the meanings we give and represent in our minds. I present speeches of three TPLF long-standing members gave recently in different medias and see how they think and what their collective persona is.

Abay Tsehaye recently said to his audiences: how ridiculous and unthinking it is to question the national development programs that exist and run by TPLF – Tigray first, Tigray first, Tiray first, all the time Tigray and TPLF members first government. He paused a question with bewilderment to his audiences, what kind of thinking it is to say regions which have more people and bigger sizes should have received more attention from the government, to have more schools, more universities, hospitals and more infrastructures in general than regions with fewer number of people and smaller in size. He expressed angrily to his audiences of Tigray, how that kind of thinking is illogical, unreasonable and disgusting. If this will happen, he said, it is preferable EPRDF be dismantled.

In his view and in his desires, philosophies and decisions to make, Tigray should be the first place to receive everything what Ethiopia has, and what it receives from the outside world and nobody should question that and EPRDF is created to give legitimacy to this TPLF’s illegal activity. The rest of Ethiopia gets what is left and what TPLF permits based on loyalty. The idea sounds like something you will imagine in nightmares, not in real human society that wants to live forever side by side, sharing what they have and intermingled. This is a person who has been and still is in political power presumably “took” the trust of all Ethiopians for fairness of political and human rights, distribution of wealth and resources in an equitable way.

However he proved himself that he is not occupying office for fairness and equitability of resources but a delusional, irrational and a person of an epileptic mind, who is not conscious of the country he lives and what he is doing. It is not the question of fairness and reasonableness, the conscience of decency and valuing peaceful coexistence that is illogical and perplexing, but it is his and his TPLF barbarian friends delusion and desire of taking resources only to them which is perplexing. There is no any part of our body to listen to what TPLF members have to say, as we know they are a world standard liars who live in the distant past of the human evolution as our distant ancestors than what Ethiopians are now.

Arkebe Equbay: As recently as probably last week or so, said on his twitter, Jews are only 9 million and yet they rule the world, which no a single Jew person claims that assertion, except the epileptic mind of a TPLF member and beneficiaries, and nobody believes what this guy had said, as it is an outright lie fabricated from the epileptic mind of a TPLF member for the purpose of catering TPLF blind supporters to stay with TPLF until the end of TPLF burial. The world is neither ruled by the Jews nor it is ruled by any other particular human species. Just imagine how TPLF members thinks, just go deep in to their brain and see what the images of the outside world look like in their brain? How truth is placed and interpreted in it? What image they create when they see Ethiopia, Ethiopians, and Tigray and a person from Tigray?

These are very important psychological questions a reasonable person want to know when encountered a TPLF member. He argues therefore Ethiopians should quietly live without complaining against TPLF and the minority Tigray first dictum, they have to succumb to the rule of the TPLF and the minority Tigray people. It is mind-blowing to hear such words from a person of Tigray who literally had a tradition of complaining on Ethiopia and on Amharas for every problem they had, human made, natural or otherwise.

The people of Gonder named a place, Tigrie Mechohiya “ ትግሬ መጮሂያ” where the people from Tigray used to come to Gondar and complain about every problem they had to the Gondar kings of Ethiopia. Arkebe forgets everything of the past as they have an intentional deletion key of the past and does not care and think for the future either, that things will change and what their fate might be. What we have done today will gauge what our future might be. There is a saying, do not dig the hole dipper as no one knows who will be the one to be in first. TPLF members dig holes dipper and they are certain Ethiopians are the first and the last to be in it.

Bereket Semion: The most enabler of TPLF and disabler of Ethiopians recently said, the fanfare the Amhara and Oromos wanted to create understanding and unity is against what is established as a norm. In his view, the norm is that Ethiopia is a fragmented and disunited regions of disliking, language enclave societies where they all fight each other to exist in their own enclaves. This is a text-book manual of making animals engage in fighting each other while you take things from their territory, since they only focus on their fight not on their properties and that is what Bereket Semon is telling Ethiopians. He believes TPLF members are smart enough to create that norm which is conducive for TPLF but bad for Ethiopians. The past Ethiopia, he argues, is no more here, TPLF created a situation that exists now and that is what the norm in his thinking and what Ethiopians should accept and live.

This idea is also promoted to be valid by Seyum Mesfin, Abay Tsehaye and other TPLF members, that the unity between Amharas and Oromos , the unity between all Ethiopians is an impossible try, it is history, it is over. Bereket Semon once said, this generation does not know what Eritrea is and that is what TPLF wanted, and what actually has happened, but his ignorance has no limit, humans learn, educate themselves and seek knowledge to know the past, know history and try to amend mistakes that were committed by mindless people like Bereket Semion. The Germans did fix their past mistakes and become one united country that dominates Europe in every aspect of life and one of the formidable economic powers of in the world. The Koreans are discussing to unite their country as they realised that division harts them more than it helps. The surprising thing is that these people still occupy political offices in Ethiopia, presumably representing the country and its citizens from within and outside, but making irreparable damages to the country.

With all these anecdotal prompting talks in style from these few anti Ethiopia, TPLF representatives, we come to realize that the TPLF gangs are determined for another rounds of decades of abusing Ethiopians and Ethiopia until they stand out unchallenged powerful minority, not to succumb to any power that is emerging in Ethiopia. To that end, TPLF is deceiving Ethiopians through the state of emergency giving a TPLF military takeover of a political power, that Ethiopians are doomed to be ruled by TPLF for all time.

But that is an illusion, a disconnect from reality and a TPLF epileptic mind. Ethiopia will soon be free from these barbaric people who happened to be in political power by the help of the outside world, political financial and military, not knowing what they really are. What Herman Cohen said about them is quite enough, he was their confidante, their power deliverer and king-maker, but not anymore. Mistakes are human, and they are excusable, but deliberate and intentional harm to a country and to the whole citizenry for such a long time is inexcusable and unforgettable.

Some innocent Ethiopians talk about peace and reconciliation with TPLF and its members. They expressed worrisome about the dangers the country faces. I see that as a naivety, a disservice to the cause of Ethiopians, forgetting the horrors, pains and agony the country and its citizens went through for decades. The fact of the matter is, there is no danger in the country as we speak, but there is a hope on the horizon that TPLF and its enablers will be eliminated. Ethiopians suffered; annihilated from the villages they lived, uprooted, killed and ransacked their properties and lived on streets for decades. These were the times Ethiopia was in deep trouble, the times were begging for reconciliation were necessary, not now. What is in deep trouble now is TPLF and its hoodlums and that has to be so.

This is the time where all Ethiopians should unite to get rid of the TPLF cancer from the country, an abnormal part of the country that is overgrown by deception and tricks from the host and takes over the host to its death. The current members of parliament should reject what TPLF called it state of emergency, without any emergency but to TPLF and save the people from red terror of TPLF. Had these kinds of naive people were among the heroes and heroines that led Ethiopian armies to the victory of Adwa and consulted King Menelik or Queen Taytu to make peace between the enemy who were there fighting to colonize and Ethiopians who were fighting to preserve their freedom and dignity, we could have not been free after all, we could have been one of the colonized countries that did not know freedom as it should be, we could have been listed as one of the countries who have freedom day celebrations, since the invaders mission was to succumb and defeat Ethiopians by any means, by fighting, by coercing or deceiving fighters to give up their weapons and live with good pay, and colonize the country.

The good thing was that none of them were naïve, were not first comers to international politics of barbarity of the time that they all were determined, gallant true Ethiopians who fought for freedom and dignity of Ethiopians for all time. The fight they have made to preserve dignity for today is that of tomorrow and the humiliation and worthlessness of today will be to that of tomorrow. You do not negotiate with your deadly enemy that is determined to make all tricks and deceptions in time of defeat to stay alive and looking quite, and become the monster of your life when it regains its full power. TPLF and its beneficiaries are that deadly enemies of Ethiopian and Ethiopians who will never think they way we think, who will never understand truth the way we understand, either you get rid of them or you live in hell for all time.

One thing is certain, fools learn only from their failures and it will be too late to regain better living after. TPLF and its members are such union of fools of epileptic minds that will learn only from their doomsday.

Ethiopia shall live forever in pride and dignity!

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New party leader expected to become next prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced surprise resignation Feb. 15 Ethiopia’s ruling party will soon meet to elect a new leader, two weeks after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned amid the worst anti government protests in a quarter century.

The choice of a new chairman of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front is likely to demonstrate the party’s commitment to political reform as it seeks to reassert control over one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies and second-most populous nation, according to analysts including Ahmed Salim at Teneo Intelligence in Dubai.

Hailemariam DesalegnPhotographer: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The EPRDF may select its leader from either the Oromo or Amhara communities, whose members make up more than half of the population of 105 million and have demanded greater political representation since 2015 in sporadic, often deadly protests. The party has been dominated by minority ethnic Tigrayans, who have held key economic and military positions since it overthrew the country’s military junta in 1991.

Ethiopia’s new leader will need to stabilize a country that on Friday entered its second state of emergency in two years. The demonstrations in the Oromo and Amhara regions have left hundreds of people dead, according to advocacy groups including Human Rights Watch, and have occurred amid conflict between the Oromo and Somali regions that has forced more than 900,000 people to flee their homes.

Once the chairman has been appointed, they’re expected to be named as prime minister, said Getachew Reda, a member of the EPRDF’s executive committee.

Here are some of the candidates the EPRDF council is expected to consider for the post of party chairman:

Abiy Ahmed, OPDO chairman

Abiy, 41, was elected chairman of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization last month, with the OPDO announcing it made the appointment “to meet the fundamental need of the Oromo people.” A former minister of science and technology, Abiy established the Information Network Security Agency in 2007 that undertook mass surveillance of Ethiopians and dissidents in Europe and America after he left in 2010, according to the Toronto-based Citizen Lab research group. A holder of degrees including a diploma in cryptography and a PhD in traditional conflict resolution, Abiy also served as a lieutenant-colonel in the Ethiopian National Defense Force.

Demeke Mekonnen, ANDM chairman
Demeke has served as one of Ethiopia’s deputy prime ministers since September 2012. Broad efforts are needed to “ensure the sustainability and meet the demand of the people for changes,” Demeke said in a Feb. 28 statement reported by the ruling party’s Fana Broadcasting Corp. “By maintaining the ongoing deep renewal program, the Amhara National Democratic Movement will work on leadership succession based on principles,” he said. Demeke has been a member of parliament since 2010 and served as the vice president of the Amhara region from 2005 to 2008, and as education minister from 2008 to 2013. He’s been chairman of the Amhara National Democratic Movement since 2010. He headed the cabinet’s administrative and security affairs coordination bureau for four years to 2005 under former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Shiferaw Shigute, SEPDM chairman
Shiferaw, a former education minister, replaced Hailemariam as head of the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement this week. The chairman of the state-owned Development Bank of Ethiopia, he served as vice chairman of the SEPDM from 2003 until Hailemariam tendered his resignation, and president of the southern region’s government from 2006 to 2013. An ethnic Sidama, Shiferaw could claim the post because the SEPDM’s candidate didn’t complete his term, said Hallelujah Lulie, an independent analyst in Addis Ababa, the capital. Hailemariam stepped down before his term was due to expire in 2020.

Lemma Megersa, OPDO deputy chairman
Lemma, 47, became the president of Oromia region in October 2016 after Ethiopia declared a state of emergency following mass protests. A former commissioner of the Oromia regional police, he became deputy chair of the OPDO last month as Abiy became chair. “Lemma is a very good candidate and on the same line as Abiy, but he is not a member of parliament, a prerequisite for being a candidate-PM,” said Jan Abbink, a professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands and a Horn of Africa researcher.

Debretsion Gebremichael, TPLF chairman

Debretsion, in his late fifties, became chairman of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front in November, after serving as the deputy chair of the TPLF since 2012. He’s been Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister for the finance and economic cluster, the minister of communication, and chairs the National Economic Council. He’s also the chairman of Ethiopian Electric Power Corp., the state-owned power company overseeing construction of the country’s multibillion-dollar hydropower dams, and on the board of state telecommunications monopoly Ethio Telecom. After 1991, he served as head of security in Addis Ababa, and later as deputy chief of the National Intelligence and Security Service’ predecessor.

Workneh Gebeyehu, foreign minister

Workneh, 49, has been a member of both the OPDO and the EPRDF since 1991 and an executive committee member of both parties since 2012. He was director-general of the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission from 2003 until 2012, when he became Hailemariam’s transport minister, and served as board chairman of Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Services Enterprise. He has served as foreign minister since November 2016.
“He lacks grassroots support and his appointment would probably prove divisive,” said Chris Suckling, a senior country risk analyst at IHS Markit in London.

 

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Anna Getaneh is an acclaimed former international model, a humanitarian and social entrepreneur. She is also the founder and Creative Director of African Mosaique, a clothing design, manufacturing and retail company that collaborates with established and emerging African designers. (Photos: Pinterest)

CNN

Anna Getaneh: A model for humanity

Former Ethiopian model Anna Getaneh walked runways for Chanel. She now paves a path for poor children in her country.Source: CNN

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—Media do no harm—

Aklog Birara (Dr.)

Part II

Independent, objective and impartial media is a powerful force in providing the public with information that they need. Such media is instrumental in representing the voices of those whose hopes and aspirations are suppressed by their own governments. It is arguably the most important vehicle in advancing social justice and democratization. At the same time, those of us who leave our homelands in search of freedom fail to use precious freedom and the instruments of social and other media (Facebook, Twitter and other media) to inflame issues rather than to build bridges back home. In the process we diminish the constructive impacts of such media. Political elites exploit these differences expressed in social media liberally to advance their own interests.

Distortions in social media make a stronger case for major media outlets to play a much more impartial and objective role in advancing justice, the rule of law, peace and stability.

Al-Jazeera’s analysis of the Ethiopian crisis on February 22, 2018, “Who will be Ethiopia’s next prime minister? Will the appointment of a new Ethiopian prime minister only acts to save the ruling party, or usher in deeper reform?” is a welcome analysis involving Ethiopians who live and work in the country more intimately than foreign experts. Here too I commend Al-Jazeera for seeking inputs from Ethiopian experts. I am ready and willing to offer my assessments to Al- Jazeera.

I highlighted in Part I of this commentary that Ethiopia is unique. It is a mosaic of faiths and peoples. The fates and bonds of its 110 million people are unbreakable. Ethiopia shall surmount its current crisis and emerge stronger than ever. Ethiopia’s human and expert capital is enormous. But this talent pool is unrecognized and unappreciated by the global community and by the media.

The popular uprising, against the repressive and oppressive regime that persisted unabated since November 2015 and that cost the lives of thousands of innocent people, most of them young, is not to replace one oppressive system or dictatorship or Prime Minister by another. Rather, it is to overhaul the entire system and usher in representative democracy that places political authority in citizens. The appetite and urgency of change in the system is so deep and strong that even the state of emergency has done little to diminish it.

The people of Ethiopia are sick and tired of marginal and pretensions reforms. Appointing a new Prime Minister of any ethnic or religious background won’t deal with the root causes of the problem. Tsedale Lemma, Editor-in-Chief of the Addis Standard newspaper is right. “A change of guard is not what the people want.” Regardless of ethnic or other affiliation, Ethiopian

citizens want to be heard. They want to be represented in policy and decision-making. They want to enjoy free and fair elections. They want their representatives to be accountable to them and not to a distant, detached, careless and self-serving governing party. Ethiopians are unanimous in their conclusions that reform only prolongs the agony of the population and endangers the country’s future.

I should like to underscore the fundamental principle that demand for fundamental change is uniformly an all-Ethiopian concern. It is not an Amhara or Oromo or Annuak or Somali or Afar or Tigrean or Wolayta etc. concern. It is an Ethiopian concern. So, segmentation diminishes the collective will for fundamental change.

The way to go is to be bold enough; and courageous enough; and allow transformative change sooner than later.

A change in individual or collective leadership within the governing party will do nothing to address the root cause of the problem and the dangerous crisis Ethiopia is facing. Marginal change has been tried numerous times; and failed to satisfy popular demand. Ethiopians as citizens are willing and ready to sacrifice their lives for fundamental change. The contention by the governing party that it has reformed itself; has learned from the past; and is redeemable is preposterous and misleading.

I have pointed in past commentaries that there is no distinction between the party, the state and the government. They are one and the same. The party goes through the charade of self- assessment almost every year. Aside from the rhetoric of “renaissance and deep renaissance,” it has never questioned its legitimacy to govern. For all practical purposes, there is no government in Ethiopia. This glaring gap in legitimacy cannot be addressed by the current state of emergency.

What is needed then is a transitional government of national unity that involves all stakeholders and that leads to free and fair elections supervised by U.N. observers.

My plea to Al-Jazeera and other media is to be more inclusive in their coverage of Ethiopia’s political crisis. Call us Ethiopians instead of using ethnic silos. The TPLF used Ethiopia’s incredible and rich diversity to divide and rule; rather than to strengthen the bonds of Ethiopian society. Refraining from the unfortunate narrative of segmenting Ethiopians by ethnicity and religion will go a long way in making a case for the Ethiopian people as a whole. This will also strengthen the credibility and acceptability of reports on Ethiopia.

In a commentary “Ethiopia ‘at crossroads’ after Haile Mariam resignation” on February 15,

2018, Al-Jazeera reported that “Ethiopia is at a critical political juncture…. after the snap

resignation of the country’s prime minister.” In reality, tensions began to build up since the stolen election in 2005 and the spread of the popular uprising since November, 2015. This ten- year window offered the TPLF dominated regime a window of opportunity to examine its poor

and repressive governance with a view of making a transition towards genuine democracy, the ultimate demand of the population regardless of ethnicity.

Befekadu Hailu, “an Ethiopian writer and activist” was quoted by Al-Jazeera as having projected that Ethiopia ‘will slide deeper and deeper into chaos if the root-causes of the ongoing protests are unaddressed’; and if the TPLF takes draconian and repressive actions against the civilian population. Befekadu said that, “while it is difficult to predict what will come next, he feared the most dominant group within Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, the TPLF, may take drastic measures to maintain its grip on power, including a potential coup.” It has done that. A military regime has been installed.

A few months ago, the TPLF guided newspaper Addis Standard had released a comprehensive and well-developed strategy and action plan in the event public unrest continued to persist and government institutions collapse. The new state of emergency that gives complete and unfettered authority to TPLF defense, security, police and other special forces moves Ethiopia to the level of a police state dominated by the TPLF. Command posts have been set-up in critical parts of the country where the popular resistance is high. The Oromo and Amhara regions are special targets of the third state of emergency.

It is gratifying and a welcome development that the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia continues to “disagree” with TPLF’s dangerous game of adding fuel to the fire. Ethiopians within and outside the country have no other option but to unite beyond ethnicity and religion and defy the state of emergency; and call for a transitional government of national unity whose immediate task is to restore peace and order; and prevent further killings through extrajudicial measures.

Killings have already began using the state of emergency. There is an urgent need to preserve the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty; and to avert civil conflict that could potentially lead to genocide. The best option is an-all-inclusive conference in Ethiopia.

The formation of a transitional government of national unity requires wisdom and clear thinking. All stakeholders must be involved in the process. The desires, hopes and demands of the people for a democratic state and government and not political elites must govern the transition. Ethiopians must learn from the failed transitions of the past—from Imperial rule to the military and from the military dictatorship to the TPLF dominated ethnic coalition. All these governments denied Ethiopians to be masters of their destiny.

The demand of the population today is not to replace the TPLF with another form of TPLF. Instead, it is to vest power in ordinary citizens and to make sure that officials are solely accountable to the Ethiopian people. A rubber stamp parliament that approves a new state of emergency shows that elections in Ethiopia are a mirage that empower TPLF dominance and capture of the economy. The solution to this mirage is to conduct free and fair elections, managed by free institutions and impartial international observers.

The demands highlighted above affect almost all Ethiopians. For example, the media fails to refer to atrocities committed against indigenous people in the Omo valley; in Gambella; in

numerous parts of southern Ethiopia and in the Afar region; in the Ogaden and others. These are among the most natural resources rich regions of the country. Their lands and other resources have been captured by the TPLF and through it by investors both domestic and foreign. Al-Jazeera’s February 20, 2018 report “Ethiopia: Mass protests ‘rooted in country’s history” misses this vast land area and population.

The need not to segment in media coverage

Our ethnic or religious identity is a given and a blessing. However, segmenting Ethiopia’s population by ethnic affiliation is no longer viable and or fair. The Amhara and the Oromo are not the only people in Ethiopia who are oppressed and “marginalized.” They are visible and vocal because of their numbers. But, what about the rest of Ethiopians? The common thread that defines us as people is being human and Ethiopian. This commonality supersedes all else.

Land grab is not limited to the Amhara and Oromo regions. In fact, it is more pervasive and debilitating in the Omo valley, in Gambella and in numerous parts of the south and in the Afar region. The overwhelming political, economic, financial and diplomatic dominance of the TPLF affects all Ethiopians, including ordinary Tigreans who are not part of the TPLF “gang of

looters.” It is this monopoly that the TPLF wishes to continue.

What Ethiopians need is inclusion and not ethnic and religious segmentation. I therefore urge Al-Jazeera to change its narrative by using the term Ethiopians.

A meaningful and objective approach to the reporting is to be inclusive and treat citizens rather than ethnic groups. Ethiopians are being punished by the TPLF because they, together as Ethiopians, are trying to liberate themselves from the oppressive TPLF system of governance.

A democratic system is inevitable in Ethiopia. This is because all Ethiopians want democracy and are dying for it. Free and fair elections are imperative in achieving this ultimate goal. If the reader believes as I do that free and fair elections are fundamental to lift Ethiopian society from the current crisis, it behooves us to accept the notion that reform won’t work. Reform will simply make changes at the margins; but keeps the root causes of the current protest movement unresolved.

Ambassador Herman Cohen wrote a set of good options that Ethiopians must consider. In

“What is next for Ethiopia?” he offered the following options:

1. “To the Government of Ethiopia: Consider the organization of an all-party reconciliation conference, with international observers, leading the first ever democratic option;
2. To the Ethiopian opposition: start thinking about a formula that will give the current power elites confidence that they have a safe future in Ethiopia regardless of the political outcome.”

These are well considered options but require moral and diplomatic suasion. In my view, the state of emergency will engender another cycle of violence and make Ethiopia more vulnerable.

Ethiopia’s external enemies will benefit from this insecurity and vulnerability. An already broken trust and confidence will dissipate even further.

The reality on the ground is that every segment of Ethiopian society is being punished by the TPLF. When the vast majority is imprisoned under a state of siege of the TPLF, the common denominator that should and must guide the struggle is not division but unity of purpose and unified action against the same tormentor. It is this commonality that Al-Jazeera and other media outliers miss and must rectify as friends of the Ethiopian people.

However important, Ethiopia’s past misfortunes and fortunes should not guide the future. The past is useful as a source of wisdom but does not shape and should not shape the hopes and aspirations of 110 million Ethiopians. Ethiopians need to rise up; forgive one another; and establish a political and socioeconomic system that is fair and just for everyone.

The arrogant and dismissive TPLF

U.S Congressman Dana Rohrabacher tweeted recently that the TPLF “game is over.” He presented the following vital and legitimate demands to the TPLF in order to avert potential catastrophe:

1. “An ultimatum to the TPLF dominated regime to allow N. rights monitors entry to

probe rights abuses;

2. An offer to the regime to comply to the above demand of allowing the monitors by

February 28, 2018 or face the risk of “a formal condemnation vote by the U.S. House of Representatives.”

These demands converge with the American Ambassador’s plea for annulling the state of emergency and with Ambassador Cohen’s for convening conventions and negotiations with all stakeholders at the earliest opportunity. Sadly, the TPLF is doing the exact opposite. Arrogant, narrow minded, greedy, unwilling and unable to learn from Ethiopia’s past political history and the opportunities that the popular protests offer Ethiopia for peaceful change; and ignorant of the powerful social forces that drive fundamental change in any country, the TPLF-dominated state and government refuses to accept the importance and desirability of change through direct dialogue and negotiation with civil society, faith communities, elders, youth, women and political parties within and outside Ethiopia.

The state of emergency that will bring more repression and killings of innocent civilians won’t stop the resistance. The population is determined to pay any price in order to achieve freedom and democracy. The so-called “opposition” will be ignorant and backward if it does not unite under one Pan-Ethiopian umbrella organization; and unless it is guided and governed by the popular resistance led by youth. It is time to serve the people and not political or economic elites.

Since the new state emergency, Ethiopians defied the police state through economic and trade boycotts and sit-ins. There is no way that the TPLF will have the capacity to go house to house and arrest millions of Ethiopians. Admission of failure is wisdom. Sadly, I know of no single TPLF leader or general or other who possesses wisdom. Potential wisdom does, however, reside in the ordinary Tigrean population and this group of Ethiopians needs to rise-up against the TPLF before it is too late. I know of no single person in the opposition camp who wants vengeance against ordinary Tigreans or other group of Ethiopians.

In sum, it is time for the TPLF to accept defeat by the people and agree to an honorable way out from the morass it created. The defeat on the ground does not come from Ethiopia’s weak and fragmented opposition. It is coming from the one social force that the TPLF cannot control any more, the people.

For any clear-thinking person, it is not rocket science to recognize that innocent blood, including of those as young as 3 months old has been shed. This non-erasable and unforgettable stain occurred in the Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Ogaden, Oromo and southern regions through extrajudicial measures by the TPLF and its hired hands. If the TPLF chooses to murder more, it shortens its own life and endangers the lives of millions including Tigreans. It certainly will endanger Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.

This is the reason why a wave of governments, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands as well as the EU condemned the latest state of emergency. Stability is vital not only for Ethiopia but the entre Horn of Africa. But, it should not come at a cost to innocent lives and livelihoods. It should not come at a cost to freedom and justice.

The U.S. Embassy’s concern and disagreement is appropriate.

“We strongly disagree with the Ethiopian government’s decision to impose a state of emergency that includes restrictions on fundamental rights such as assembly and expression,” the embassy said in a statement. The state of emergency, the embassy said, “undermines recent positive steps toward creating a more inclusive political space” and sends a message to the Ethiopian people that “they are not being heard.”

Equally, the European Union’s statement is timely and converges, in part, with that of the U.S.

On February 19, 2018, the EU released this statement.

“The resignation by Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn opens a period of uncertainty in Ethiopia. It will be important for the new government to have the full capacity to pursue the positive reforms initiated by the Prime Minister to address the grievances of the population. Only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders – authorities, opposition, media, civil society – will allow for a peaceful and durable resolution of the crisis.

The announced reinstatement of the State of Emergency risks undermining this very objective. It is therefore of the outmost importance that it should be as limited in time as possible and

respectful of human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably those enshrined in the

Ethiopian Constitution. Violence should also be avoided.”

Sadly, the wishy-washy statement by the E.U. gives tacit approval to the TPLF and emboldens it. No state of emergency should be tolerated unless the EU determines that the lives of innocent Ethiopians do not really matter; and that a false sense of stability is preferred. This mixed message is unfortunate and should be reconsidered by the EU top leadership.

Twenty-seven years of repression and oppression prove that the TPLF won’t submit to the popular will of 110 million people. It is time for the EU to side with Ethiopians; and not bankroll one of the most repressive regimes on the planet.

“Partnership” with a dictatorship is tantamount to abandoning the core principles for which Western societies including the EU stand. There can’t be two standards of justice and the rule of law: one for North Korea, Iran etc. and another for Black or Sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia.

In summary, Ethiopians prefer freedom to Western aid and the sooner the West realizes this desire, the better for both. The global media including Al-Jazeera should stop segmenting us by ethnicity or religion. Instead, it is time to treat us as Ethiopians who are committed to democracy.

March 1, 2018

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By Teshome M. Borago | Satenaw Columnist

After my article last week on the ongoing political drama of selecting a new TPLF puppet minister, i was not eager to write my annual commentary on the Adwa anniversary. But then, I was contacted by friends and encouraged by a few readers who I have never met. So I decided to write, once again, on this historical event that has become the pride of black people worldwide; a display of sheer will, patriotism, of unity, honor, and one of the greatest achievements of good vs evil: the 1896 Ethiopian victory at the Battle of Adwa against an European super power.

As we celebrate the 122nd anniversary of Adwa, I urge all Ethiopians to visualize how historical events shaped our political identity. One of the readers who asked me if I was going to write again about Adwa this week lives in Oromia. He is from Ambo city and actively involved in the #OromoProtests movement. Last year, this man told me his political thinking was changed after reading my March 2017 article titled “Adwa: when Oromos fought Italy as Abyssinians.” http://www.satenaw.com/adwa-oromos-fought-italy-abyssinian

He said, before reading my article, he never thought of himself as ahttp://www.satenaw.com/adwa-oromos-fought-italy-abyssiniann “Abyssinian-Oromo,” because he did not know that many Afan Oromo speaking communities existed in Raya, Gondar and Wollo and mixed with other citizens of former Abyssinia for centuries. Knowledge is certainly power.

One of the benefits of the digital age is that even people in the rural Ethiopia are now being exposed to extensive information. Their sources of information is not limited to voices inside the local tribal community anymore. Many young Oromos today are finally learning that both Emperor Menelik and Emperor Haileselassie were mixed Oromos. Many young Oromos today are learning that not only Emperor Menelik’s Shewan Oromo allies but also Abyssinian-Oromos in the north were part of the Ethiopian society for centuries and thus played a major role during the Battle of Adwa. This historical fact was purposely hidden by the elites and creators of Oromo nationalism since the 1960s. The goal of ethnic nationalist elites was to empower their ethnic people, but they had to divide Ethiopians to achieve that goal. So it is the duty of every peace loving Ethiopian to spread the true history of our nation.

After discussing my old article, he concluded that it is now time for his fellow Oromo speaking Ethiopians to once again participate in making Ethiopia victorious and great again. It is better to improve the future of Oromos by fixing the whole Ethiopia. While he still believes that Oromo language and culture have been marginalized for too long; he told me that “Being an Oromo nationalist should never mean being anti-Ethiopia” since Oromos bled and died to create and defend modern Ethiopia.

I believe, not only Oromos but also all other Ethiopians must be proud of their ancestors who fought at Adwa for the freedom of Ethiopia and who inspired black independence movements in Africa and worldwide.

It is important today that more ethnic nationalists go thru similar stages of a post-Menelik “Ethiopian Identity Development” (EID). For these Ethiopians, the last 60 years particularly have been a harsh period of denial of their own Ethiopiawinet. Some attempted to reject their Ethiopianness based on a wild variety of isolated incidents and tales passed down from generations. They were stuck in the middle stages of the EID model, where ethnic elites used existing grievances to advance polarized political agenda. During these past decades, many ethnic nationalists propagated extremist views and used historical fallacies. They wrote books, broadcasted radios and spoke publicly in a hyperbole language to spread anti-Ethiopia sentiment and bitterness.

Did all ethnic elites used such propaganda to instigate animosity between people in order to instigate genocidal act? Absolutely No.  I believe some ethnic elites are well-meaning and peace-loving people. I believe the ethnic elites use these polarizing tactics as a means of mobilization for their cause; NOT as a means to spread people-to-people hate. Thanks to my late Oromo grand father from Welega, I have actually met many early members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF.) It might surprise many people today, that some of these past OLF leaders and members that my grand father associated with were actually mixed-Oromos with ancestors partially from other linguistic groups (and some of them were intermarried with other ethnicity). So technically, many of them were not even “full Oromo” by ancestry. But they made a conscious decision to be “politically Oromo.” They were not born or even raised Oromo nationalists; they gradually decided to be one. What made these ethnic nationalists adopt such political identity were usually shocking events in their lives (like witnessing discrimination firsthand in school or at work) which triggered their transformation. These negative life experiences inside the Ethiopian state usually took a life of their own and became Exhibit A, B and C of why ethnic self-exclusion (thus narrow nationalism) appeared attractive for many marginalized Ethiopians as a way to counter perceived systematic ethnic inequalities.

However, the truth is the Ethiopian state did not systematically and intentionally establish ethnic inequality in the 20th century, until the TPLF arrived in 1991 when it receimposed ethnic-segregation. Even the OPDO has admitted this fact to be true. Earlier this year, Lemma Megersa and the OPDO executive published a surprising statement clarifying their political position. According to the statement, OPDO believes that the oppression that existed in Ethiopian history was “class-based” and not ethnic based. (A position that is opposite from the ideology of TPLF) This progressive OPDO statement is important in shaping the Ethiopian Identity Development (EID) of millions of young Oromos in Ethiopia. This OPDO ideology sets up the ideological foundation to remove the apartheid ethnic-federalism structure overtime and gradually reignite the unity of Ethiopians by breaking artificial tribal barriers.

In general, what all of these developments prove is that current day ethnic identities are mostly social construct. They are “political identities.” They can be unlearned and unmade just as fast as they were made. That does not mean diverse linguistic and cultural characteristics can and should ever be unlearned. Only the political portion of these identities should be removed. The same way the World today sees “political Islam” as a threat to modern society; it is vital that Ethiopians (and Africa ) also view ethnic politics as a threat: as an obstacle to peace and democracy. As western society seeks to detach politics from Islam, we should also de-ethnicised politics in Ethiopia. In this effort, the symbolism of Adwa is important to develop our Ethiopian political identity. Just as many unfortunate historical events have created the ethnic grievances that justified creating political ethnic identities (ethnic nationalism) over the last few decades in Ethiopia; now, we must look back to the Battle of Adwa as an inspiration; as one of those historical events that reignite our Ethiopian political identity and restore our Ethiopian nationalism.

Contact the writer at Teshomeborago@gmail.com

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By Tedla Asfaw

On the 122nd Anniversary of Adwa, Yekatit 23 or March 2, 2018 behind the jubilation on Addis Ababa street something unbelievable was going on the  parliament floor. The news on FBC (Fana Broadcasting Corporate S.C.) a government media it said by the vote of 346 in favor 88 opposed  7 abstain out of 490 member of parliament from 547 the State of Emergency Decree was Approved. Quickly that was corrected to 395 in favor.

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By Abdisa Aga

The pro-democracy protests in Ethiopia  began in Oromia and spread to other parts of the country. Despite the huge human life sacrifices paid especially by the Oromo, international media coverage is low to none and sympathy for the struggle is invisible. Here is why

Its been three years since the Oromo revolted and The Amhara in the north followed. The regime has killed more than a thousand lives and tens of thousands of people have been arrested.  Several dramatic events have happened, including the resignation of the prime minster and here we are. Still the true rulers of the country, the rebel veterans of Tigre liberation front remain in charge and the killings have continued in another state of emergency. Whats more devastating, international attention and media coverage is very very low. This has prolonged the tyranny and the sacrifices especially for the Oromo.

Before I go deep into the piece, I want to make a few things clear about myself in this highly polarized ethnic politics.  I consider myself as an urban Oromo and even once I was a member of the OPDO ( the ruling party in the Oromo region). I’m a federalist and even more believe everyone born in the Oromo region is an Oromo. I’m as young as a man born and raised after the TPLF takeover of Addis Ababa in 1991.

now, after all this bloodshed, the pro-democracy struggle is getting very little international attention. And when it got one, its been demonized. Its not been used for the better of the struggle. Sadly, its the Oromo with Oromo names thats diminishing it, undermining it on the face of an international audience. So the international community continues to recognize TPLF’s naked military dictatorship as the legitimate government of Ethiopia trying to quell some internal ethnic matters but not as a brutal totalitarian one party dictatorship that killed democracy for 27 years and continues to do so. And for the international community’s delight, Addis Ababa, the capital is calm and shiny.

The self proclaimed Oromo fighters of facebook and twitter worked so hard that they deserve the few appearances they’re getting on these one or two international language broadcasts. But when one gets on an international language media and tells the world that Amhara was king before 1991 and now Tigre is the king  after 1991, so Oromo is revolting to replace them. How would the world perceive this? isn’t this foolish? Not only that, its also very dangerous for the Qeero ( The Oromo youth) shedding their blood on the streets Ambo or Naqamte.

These self proclaimed spokespersons of the Oromo youth in Ethiopia are depicting the Oromo struggle merely as an ages old boring African ethnic clash. So nobody has the appetite to give attention or dares to play a role. Its a real disaster how these fame seeking individuals and demonizing us, diminishing our cause. You can say to a fellow Ethiopian that before 1991, the king was Amhara, the government was Amhara, the language was Amhara, the church was Amhara, the mosque was Amhara and after 1991, everything is Tigre. But if you say this to an international audience, you’re not only distracting the attention on the current issue but you’re also getting yourself ridiculed for misusing or wasting a very precious very short international media coverage. Yes I understand the fight among the facebook or twitter heroes on a non existing power in the Oromo. One tries to pretend as a better Oromo nationalist than the other. So we see these all tongue twisting and I am a better Oromo messages.

The Oromo has always had a just cause. But because it lacked clever politicians, its miserable life has continued and prisons in Ethiopia speak Afaan Oromo. The atrocities against the Oromo has always been recorded. Because we are the big, we always suffer the big. There is no specific attack toward us. I’m simply here to remind concerned oromos how the few self proclaimed social media heros are demonizing the pro-democracy struggle of the oromo of Ethiopia for their own personal fame. These poorly educated and tempered people are diminishing the struggle as a simple ethnic clash so that the international community ignores it.

As leenco lata once said the Oromo struggle has always been a sensitive matter for the international community. It needs well trained and smart people to communicate it. They’re are too far from the heat, the fires and the blood cuz they’re only on facebook and twitter. They dont mind if the bloodshed dont come to an end. As long as it remains like this, they remain famous and “important”. So it seems they want it to continue. Just like an enemy from with in, they benefit from the sufferings of our people.

For the international community, the Oromo has its own region governed by Oromos with afaan Oromo with a local Oromo media and with a regional security force commanded by Oromos. And at the national level, Oromo is the president, Oromo is the foreign secretary, Oromo is the house speaker, Oromo is the deputy commander in chief of the national armed forces.

Its completely different the way we speak to an international audience and to a local one. To a local Ethiopian, you can argue as much as you want how the king was an Amhara until 1991 and now the Tigre after 1991. but to an international audience, thats only diminishing the Oromo and its great history

We need new, better and smart people to tell our stories to the international community so that we can get international support and sympathy, not these greedy dumb men who depict us as an inferior group in Ethiopia and as if we’re fighting to dominate Ethiopia.

This is ridiculous and it needs to stop!!! Our story is simple and simple. We the Oromo as the other Ethiopians are fighting to rule ourselves, to be ruled by the people we elect, to be ruled by the kind of system we vote on and share our deserved place in the center of Ethiopia. And these are very simple fundamental democratic questions. They can be supported by anybody else. And our martyrs get the deserved sympathy in the international community. They’re not about regional territories or they’re not about Tigre or Amhara, they’re universal democratic questions. But because our media platforms are hijacked by these people, Addis ababa youth don’t raise our cause and protest under the eyes of the international community, They keep to demonize us so these all killings as business as usual for the international community and they only remain “ concerned” as they have always been for the last 27 years.

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ESAT Radio Sat 03 Mar 2018

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Africa News) — The European Union (E.U.) must start being tough with the Ethiopian regime especially given the current political climate, a Member of the European Parliament has said.

MEP Ana Gomes has thus requested that the parliament summons the E.U. Commission vice-president and top diplomat to explain the body’s most recent statement on the Ethiopian crisis.

According to her, the statement was weak and failed to send a strong signal to the regime especially relating to the reinstatement of a state of emergency (SoE) – the second measure in the last two years.

And the statement made by the European Union is a shame compared namely by the one that was put out by the Americans condemning the reinstatement of the state of emergency.

“I have asked this moment to ask you to raise with the High Representative Mogherini, the situation in Ethiopia. Brutal repression is going on, the Prime Minister has resigned (and) there has been a state of emergency reimposed.

“And the statement made by the European Union is a shame compared namely by the one that was put out by the Americans condemning the reinstatement of the state of emergency.

“I ask you to bring this up with the (European Union) Commission and the High Representative, so that the European Union, indeed, has a position that respects our values and meets the interest of democracy that has to be inclusive in Ethiopia and the establishment of the rule of law and the respect for human rights,” she said in a session on March 1.

Gomes is a Portuguese politician who doubles as a Socialist Member of the European parliament.
She is currently a member of the political committee of the socialist party, is known to be someone who frequently speaks on Ethiopia politics.

She was part of efforts calling on the government to disclose charges against Oromo leader Merera Gudina after his in 2016. She is on record to have slammed the government after his release stating that he did not have to be arrested in the first place.

What did the E.U. statement say in February 19, 2018 statement

The resignation by Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn opens a period of uncertainty in Ethiopia. It will be important for the new government to have the full capacity to pursue the positive reforms initiated by the Prime Minister to address the grievances of the population.

Only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders – authorities, opposition, media, civil society – will allow for a peaceful and durable resolution of the crisis.

The announced reinstatement of the State of Emergency risks undermining this very objective. It is therefore of the utmost importance that it should be as limited in time as possible and respectful of human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably those enshrined in the Ethiopian Constitution. Violence should also be avoided.

As a committed partner of Ethiopia and of the Ethiopian people, the EU will continue to encourage all actors to work constructively towards a democratic and stable Ethiopia.

What the U.S embassy said in its Feb. 17 2018 statement

We strongly disagree with the Ethiopian government’s decision to impose a state of emergency that includes restrictions on fundamental rights such as assembly and expression.

We recognize and share concerns expressed by the government about incidents of violence and loss of life, but firmly believe that the answer is greater freedom, not less.

The challenges facing Ethiopia, whether to democratic reform, economic growth, or lasting stability, are best addressed through inclusive discourse and political processes, rather than through the imposition of restrictions.

The declaration of a state of emergency undermines recent positive steps toward creating a more inclusive political space, including the release of thousands of prisoners. Restrictions on the ability of the Ethiopian people to express themselves peacefully sends a message that they are not being heard.

We strongly urge the government to rethink this approach and identify other means to protect lives and property while preserving, and indeed expanding, the space for meaningful dialogue and political participation that can pave the way to a lasting democracy.

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History of Amhara People of Ethiopia by Tedla Melaku

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By Paul Schemm

ADDIS ABABA, Ethi­o­pia — It was while he was in prison that Ethiopian opposition politician Bekele Gerba first sensed change happening in the world outside. The television news from his native Oromia region had broken from the official line and was suddenly reporting on the unrest flaring around the country.

Soon after, he was released along with more than 6,000 others, most of them imprisoned for political activity, in what the government said was an effort “to establish a national consensus and widen the political sphere.”

Within days of Gerba’s rapturous welcome home on Feb. 13, however, the prime minister resigned and a state of emergency was declared to restore “law and order.” Now Ethiopia appears to be on the brink of the biggest political crisis since the communist regime was overthrown in 1991.

“There is a huge change in this country, especially the region we live in, the Oromia state,” said Gerba, from his home city of Adama, where people kept stopping him to pose for selfies. “We feel that some kind of air of freedom is here, but this is regarded by the federal government as a threat.”

On Friday, Parliament ratified the state of emergency. Although the ruling coalition controls all 547 seats, an unprecedented 88 deputies voted against the measure. By comparison, the state of emergency declared in October 2016 passed with a unanimous vote.

Ethiopian opposition politician Bekele Gerba was released from prison in February. (Chris Stein/AFP/Getty Images)

The opposition disputed those totals after footage from the parliamentary session appeared to show the parliamentary speaker stating a lower vote count, according to a Reuters report. In response to the video, the speaker said the higher number of votes was correct.

Hirut Zemene, a senior Foreign Ministry official, told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday that the state of emergency is necessary if “wide-ranging political and democratic reform” is to continue.

But Ethiopia’s Western allies have condemned the decision. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said it strongly disagreed with it, adding that it “undermines recent positive steps.”

The move is likely to be on the agenda when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits Ethi­o­pia this week.

Turmoil in Ethi­o­pia couldn’t come at a worse time for East Africa, which includes strife-torn South Sudan and Somalia. With 100 million people, the country is easily the biggest in the region, and given its sizable military, the main guarantor of stability.

If Ethi­o­pia collapses, “it will take down the region’s economy,” said Hallelujah Lulie, a political analyst. “Security will also be threatened.”

Ethiopia is divided into ethnically based states in a federal system ruled by a coalition of four parties — known as the Ethio­pian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front — that is dominated by the Tigrayan minority. It was a Tigrayan rebel group that overthrew the communist Derg regime in 1991.

Over the past few years, as rural unrest over economic and political marginalization has grown, the junior members of the coalition, the parties from ­Amhara and Oromo states, have started standing up to the Tigrayans and publicly challenging official policy.

Despite making up just 6 percent of the population, the Tigrayans are perceived to dominate not just the security services, but the economy, as well.

Now, more than two weeks after Prime Minister Hailemariam ­Desalegn submitted his resignation, the coalition still has not chosen his successor, apparently deadlocked over which ethnic group gets the nod.

“At least at this point, there isn’t a willingness from the establishment to negotiate a new formula for political decision-making, a new formula for power and economic dispensation,” Lulie said. “So we are at a stalemate.”

Yet Ethiopia’s crisis is not just about elites scrabbling for a larger piece of the pie. Outside the capital lies the vast Oromia region, which has been seething with resentment for the past three years about land seizures and a lack of jobs and, more recently, democratic reforms. The Oromos, who make up 35 percent of the population, have been joined by the Amharas to the north, who make up another 27 percent.

Nearly every day comes news of a clash between young protesters and security services, often resulting in casualties.

René Lefort, an expert on Ethiopia who has been visiting the country since the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, said the Tigrayan establishment does have a strong faction that is interested in reform but does not want to appear weak.

“As with any ruler of Ethiopia, it is very difficult for them to reform under pressure — they accept to reform only if they can properly, step by step, manage the reforms by themselves,” he said. “That’s the reason why, in my view, the reform process is now blocked.”

While the government sees the state of emergency — the second in two years — as necessary to restore the order required for any reform, critics see it as a way of perpetuating the status quo.

[In bid for dialogue, Ethi­o­pia announces major prisoner release]

After his release, Gerba, the jailed Oromo opposition politician, toured local towns to meet with the young protesters — who call themselves Qeerroo, or “youth” in the Oromo language.

He hopes to revive his political party, most of whose leaders were jailed over the past two years, by merging it with the Qeerroo and getting them into politics, instead of just protesting. In October 2016, anger over deaths at an Oromo religious festival led to attacks on foreign-owned businesses across the region.

“I was advising the youth especially not to be emotional, to abide by the nonviolent struggle,” said Gerba, who describes himself as a student of Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings. “The idea is to bring the Qeerroo to power, the good Qeerroo, the educated Qeerroo. This old generation must go,” he said, referring to himself and other party leaders.

On Feb. 24, however, federal police stopped Gerba’s convoy outside the western Oromia town of Nekemte, saying that under the state of emergency, he could not hold a planned rally. The standoff lasted all night before Gerba and his supporters withdrew, but afterward the town erupted into violence, with clashes between youth and police that left at least one protester dead.

Ayele Adamu, a young Qeerroo activist, said the protesters want an end to repression of their people and recognition of “the need for bread, for work and lowering unemployment.”

What many analysts fear is that the Qeerroo and other disaffected youths elsewhere in the country will step up their protests and provoke a crackdown that could spiral out of the control of even the Ethiopian military.

Turmoil in Ethi­o­pia has also historically been accompanied by increased violence among its many ethnic groups.

But Lefort, the longtime observer of Ethiopia, said there is a glimmer of hope. So far, he said, the Qeerroo and others have not engaged in wholesale violence, and the parties of the ruling coalition still appear to be ready to work together and hash out some kind of new system — probably one not much more democratic than it is now but that will at least address the different groups’ grievances.

“I think a rosy scenario is a little more possible than a black scenario,” he said.

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Footage of an Ethiopian parliamentary session posted online on Saturday appeared to contradict official reports of the number of votes cast to validate the state of emergency, though government officials dismissed the discrepancy as a mistake.

ADDIS ABABA: Footage of an Ethiopian parliamentary session posted online on Saturday appeared to contradict official reports of the number of votes cast to validate the state of emergency, though government officials dismissed the discrepancy as a mistake.

On Friday, the House of People’s Representatives held an emergency session on state of emergency legislation imposed on Feb. 16, a day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s surprise resignation.

The state-run Ethiopian News Agency said on Friday that 395 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, putting the government comfortably within the two-thirds majority needed to validate the state of emergency, which bans demonstrations and restricts publications that could incite violence.

But footage made public by the privately-owned Addis Standard news website showed parliamentary speaker Abadula Gemeda stating at the end of the session that 346 parliamentarians had voted in favour.

Abadula also appeared to have made a mathematical mistake, saying 339 was the required two-thirds of 539 seats.

In fact, a vote of 346 would be below the threshold needed if the two-thirds rule applied to the total number of seats, rather than the number of parliamentarians present. It was not clear from the constitution how the two-thirds rule was meant to be applied.

The discrepancies sparked claims of vote fraud from the opposition.

“It is nothing less than rigging – another example of the workings of the ruling party,” Beyene Petros, an opposition party leader and former parliamentarian, told Reuters.

Speaking to state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation late on Saturday, parliamentary speaker Abadula said 395 was the correct number of votes in favour of the legislation.

The dispute could become yet another battleground in a country where unrest was triggered over land rights, before broadening into protests over marginalisation.

After years of anti-government protests, diplomats are closely watching developments in Ethiopia, a Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy, the region’s biggest and fastest growing economy, and Africa’s second most-populous nation.

The government has struggled to placate simmering anger among the country’s two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara, who complain that they are under-represented in the country’s corridors of power.

The prime minister’s resignation followed two years of anti-government protests in which security forces killed hundreds of people in Oromiya province, the country’s most populous region.

The ruling EPRDF’s council is expected to announce Hailemariam’s successor next week following a vote, with many analysts expecting an Oromo to take the reins.

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Russian Politics & Diplomacy

Lavrov expressed hope the visit “will be a useful input in development of the time-tested relations between the countries”

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the coming visit to Ethiopia will discuss organization of a nuclear sciences center in that country.

“Our plans include organization of Ethiopia’s center for nuclear sciences and technologies, based on the Russian research reactor,” he said in an interview with The Reporter Ethiopia.

The foreign minister continued by saying that during the upcoming talks with the Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu he plans “discussing in detail ways to develop further the bilateral cooperation with the focus on its trade, economic and investment components, implementation of joint projects, including in the energy, and nuclear energy”.

Source – http://tass.com/politics/992623

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ByStaff Writer
AP

Ethiopia has signed an agreement with DP World and the Somaliland Port Authority which will see it acquire a 19% stake the Port of Berbera as well as committing to developing the Berbera Corridor as a trade gateway for the inland country.

Under the terms of the deal, Ethiopia will have close to a fifth of stake in the hub, while DP World will hold a 51% stake in the project and Somaliland 30%. In a media release announcing the deal, DP World said there are also plans to construct an additional berth at the Port of Berbera, in line with the Berbera master plan while adding new equipment to further improve efficiencies and productivity. The first cranes are scheduled to arrive later this year.

“I am so excited about the prospects of working with the Ethiopian government. Ethiopia is home to approximately 110 million people. The ports of Berbera and Doraleh will provide significant capacity to the region,” said DP World Group chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. “Both these ports and more capacity will be needed to serve the region’s growth potential in the future. Having the Government of Ethiopia as a partner will enable DP World to support the Government in achieving its impressive development plans. This development and the strengthening of our partnership demonstrates our commitment to the people of Somaliland and Ethiopia and we look forward to working together.”

“After a year of serious negotiations, Ethiopia has concluded an agreement with the Somaliland Ports Authority and DP World that will give the Government of Ethiopia 19% stake in the joint venture developing the Port of Berbera,” said Ethiopian transport minister Ahmed Shide. “The agreement will help Ethiopia secure an additional logistical gateway for its ever increasing import and export trade driven by its growing population and economy. In addition, Ethiopian participation in the development of port of Berbera and the Berbera Corridor will help bring increased economic development and opportunity to the people of Somaliland. Ethiopia will continue to further invest in and develop the Djibouti corridor and further consolidate the use of existing ports in Djibouti. It will also look for other opportunities to develop additional ports and logistics corridors in the region.”

He added: “The economies of the region are growing at a pace that needs the development of Berbera supplementing Djibouti and additional gateways in the future.”

Republic of Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Dr. Saad Al Shire, said the project will address some of the problems facing Somaliland concerning employment and investment: “It is a welcome development that will benefit the region as a whole. The economies of the region are growing at a pace that necessitates the development of multiple ports and outlets. The extension of the port will increase capacity of the region to accommodate the increase in trade.”

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Daniel Mumbere

The government of Somalia has rejected the agreement signed between Ethiopia, Somaliland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) logistics company DP World.

In a statement declaring the agreement ‘null and void’, government said the agreement violated the unity of Somalia and the constitution.

Earlier, Ethiopian media had reported the acquisition of a 19% stake in the Port of Berbera, saying an agreement was reached with the Somaliland Port Authority and DP World.

According to the agreement, DP World is the major shareholder with 51% while Somaliland takes the remaining 30%.

The port of Berbera is located in Somaliland which is internationally recognised as an autonomous state of Somalia.

Ethiopia, which has no coastline, plans to invest in infrastructure to develop the Berbera Corridor as a trade gateway.

When news of the agreement was received on Thursday, the prime minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali was in the UAE and many wondered whether the government of Somalia could have endorsed the deal.

Harun Maruf

@HarunMaruf

Ethiopia acquires 19% in Berbera Port becoming a strategic shareholder; UAE’s DP World has 51% while Somaliland gets 30% following agreement signed. The Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khaire is also (coincidently?) in UAE.

7:38 AM – Mar 1, 2018

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But when Ali returned from the UAE, he told journalists that the Somali government was neither consulted nor involved in the Berbera Port Agreement.

He added that while the government welcomes foreign investment, all those seeking to acquire ports and similar resources must deal with the federal government.

Somaliland’s minister of information, Abdirahman Guri – Barwaqo responded to the premier’s rejection insisting that Somaliland has the right to enter agreements.

About Somaliland

Somaliland declared unilateral independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. It has been under pressure to hold talks with Somalia which have so far been futile.

Somaliland can boast of an army, its own currency and legal system. The territory has been experiencing stability and economic prosperity and has been influential in the fight against piracy and terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

26 years of diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Somaliland to have access to loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

It is regarded as the autonomous region of Somalia and not a sovereign state.

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March 4, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan rebels have rubbished claims they have recruited civilians in the refugee camp in the neighbouring Gambella region of Ethiopia, stressing the claims was a mere propaganda.

South Sudanese refugees in Gambela, Ethiopia (Photo: South Sudan Consul, Gambela)

Lt Gen James Koang Chuol SPLA-IO Deputy Chief of General Staffs (DCOG) for Administration and Finance told Sudan Tribune on Sunday he was accused with several other senior commanders of recruiting refugees in order to compromise the group’s relationship with the Ethiopian government.

“They want to implicate me with Ethiopian government while they are on the offensive on our forces in Maiwut and Nasir. The latest claim by the so-called (SPLM-IO Taban Deng Gai faction) Dickson Gatluak Joak is not true and contrary to the cessation of hostilities agreement which is not being respected by their government,” he said.

Last week, SPLM-IO faction loyal to First Vice President Taban Deng, alleged that rebel commanders from the SOLM-Io faction led by Riek Machar have mobilized refugees in Ethiopia to join them and attack Pagak, a town at the border between Ethiopia and South Sudan.

However, Chuol has described the claim against their group by the government as a “dangerous accusation and unfounded allegations”.

“It has not happened to us to go and recruit refugees in the refugee camps in another country. But the government thought it was smart enough to resort to propaganda in order to blindfold the region and international community,” he added.

In a statement released on Sunday, Taban’s faction said the forces loyal to the former First Vice President Machar are now in Buoth of Northern Upper Nile, preparing for attacks on several areas in the Upper Nile region including Nasir, Bentiu and Pagak.

The statement further said the Troika countries, which facilitate the peace process, should now that the opposition groups are not willing to reach a negotiated settlement but seek a “regime change”.

“We are well informed that they (rebels) receive moral and material support- weapons and ammunition from their allies in the region and beyond,” further claimed the statement.

The warring parties in South Sudan signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on 21 December 2017, but the confidence measure has not been observed. Also, threats of sanctions didn’t dissuade them from carrying out attacks.

(ST)

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Addis Standard
Etenesh Abera & Liyat Fekade

Addis Abeba, March 05/2018 – Following the news of the state of emergency, which the speaker of the house of people’s representatives (Ethiopian parliament) said was approved by the majority in the house, albeit a “mathematical error” which led top the speaker to apologize, protests have flared up in various cities across Oromia against the news, leading to the death of at least seven people so far.

In addition to the death, more than 20 were also wounded, most of them by bullet, while some were severely beaten according to various information obtained by Addis Standard and other other media reports. However, not all causalities were related to protests as is the case for Kelbessa Mokonnen, 24, who was “shot from the back” in Gimbi, western Ethiopia, on Sunday “on his way to see a doctor for a headache he was experiencing,” according to Abdi, a relative who wants to be identified by his first name only. Kelbessa died on the spot,” Abdi told Addis Standard, adding “There was no protest in the city when Kelbessa was killed.”  He was raised by Likitu Haile, a single mom who is working as a waitress in a restaurant in the town, Abdi said. Four other people, including, Israel Deresu, Kelbessa’s friend who was accompanying him to the hospital we also wounded. “He is now admitted at Gimbi Adventist Hospital.” over the weekend, a graphic picture of showing Kelbessa’s disfigured face was making rounds in the Ethiopian social media space. Abdi confirmed the picture was indeed that of the victim.

And in Chiro, west Hararge zone of the Oromia regional state in eastern Ethiopia, one person, Ibrahim Abdella, was killed by security forces, according to Mustafa kadir, a relative who spoke to Addis Standard by phone. “He was killed from a close range on his way to work; there was no protest in the city and we were all going about our daily lives,” Mustafa said. Ibrahim’s body was taken to Chiro hospital before it was discharged to his family this afternoon. Addis Standard’s attempts to talk to the city police were to no avail.

Other cities affected by protests include Ambo, Ginchi, Guder as well as Qellem Wollega, where the deaths of six people were reported on Saturday and Sunday. According to DWAmharic, three people were killed yesterday in Ginchi town, 81 km west of Addis Abeba. And on Saturday another three people were killed in Ambo, 125 km west of Addis Abeba. Both places are where the 2015 Oromo protests began. 

Quoting doctors at hospitals in the Nekemte, Gimbi, Ambo and Dambi Dolo Bloomberg  news said “on Sunday they’ve handled 18 casualties with bullet wounds since the government suspended the constitution on Feb. 16. Ambo General Hospital documented two deaths on arrival and 13 casualties on Saturday, according to Garoma Shure, a doctor at the facility.”

The incident in Gimbi was also confirmed by the VOAAmharic news.

And on Saturday, Taressa Digafe (pictured) and his father Digafe Dandana were both killed by security forces in Guder town, about 12 km west of Ambo, Arega Huliso, a relative, confirmed to Addis Standard.  “Both of the were together when they were killed not far from their house. The whole community is devastated,” a sobbing Arega said by phone.

On February 27, amidst continued anti-governments protests and reports of causalities, including death, in parts of the Oromia regional state, particularly in Dembi Dolo and Nekemt, in western Ethiopia, the Command post established to oversee the reinstated state of emergency said its patience against what it called ant-peace elements has run out and it no longer tolerates any form of disruptions of public peace; it said it instructed security forces “to take necessary measures to restore peace.”

Three days boycott, again

Three days strike called by online activists to protest the state of emergency has also began in Oromia region today; scores of businesses, civil service offices and schools have been shut since early this morning. Transport services top and from the capital Addis Abeba are also affected.

View image on Twitter

Addis Standard@addisstandard

#Ethiopia– Addisu Arega, head of the communc’n bureau of #Oromia region, conformed that lives are lost, properties are damaged & ongoing road blockages & other forms of protests are happening in the region. He called on the public to ask their questions while continuing to work

12:14 AM – Mar 5, 2018

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Addisu Arega, head of the communication bureau of the Oromia regional state, conformed that lives are lost, properties are damaged & ongoing road blockages & other forms of protests are happening in the region. He called on the public to ask their questions while continuing to work.

And according to the state run television EBC, there were no activities in cities within Oromia regional state, including Ambo, Gimbi, Hirna, and Jimma. The boycotts strikes are happening despite the prohibition from command post enforcing State of emergency. This morning, the command post led by Siraj Fegessa urged “the society to carry out their normal day-to-day activities by ignoring information being circulated via social media to incite violence.”

According to implementation direction of the state of emergency text, which was released today, activities such as boycotting markets, missing from work places without reason, disrupting transport activities, unlicensed public gatherings, and protesting in educational facilities among others are prohibited.

Mohammed Ademo

@OPride

#Ethiopia‘s sweeping state of emergency basically bans EVERYTHING: being absent from work, disappearing from work, strike and intentional underperformance . Posting on social media. Exchanging an SMS, emails, printing or holding signs without license. Unauthorized rallies.

5:33 AM – Mar 5, 2018

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One of the cities affected by today’s boycott is Boshoftu, 45 km south of the capital Addis Abeba, where “there were no businesses, schools and government offices opened,” according to Alemayehu Huriso, a resident of the city. “We just woke up to an empty city; it looks like a ghost town.” AS

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